Kevin Harvick has signed a long-term contract extension with Stewart-Haas Racing, the NASCAR team announced Thursday.

Harvick won the Cup championship in 2014, his first year with SHR. He has nine of his 32 career victories with since joining the organization.

“It was a big decision to join Stewart-Haas Racing and it has turned out to be my best decision,” Harvick said in a statement. “I came to Stewart-Haas Racing to win championships. We have one, but that only made us hungry for more. I’m very happy to have my future secure with a team so dedicated to winning.”

Harvick will continue to work with crew chief Rodney Childers, who signed a multi-year contract with SHR in 2015.

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“Kevin’s results speak for themselves, and in addition to those numbers, he brings a presence to our team that makes everyone want to work harder,” said SHR co-owner Tony Stewart in a statement. “Kevin has made Stewart-Haas Racing a better team and he will continue to be an integral part of our future.”

Notes

▪ Winners of the three segments (20, 20 and 10 laps) of Friday’s Sprint Showdown (7:15 p.m. green flag) will advance into Saturday’s all-star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Drivers in the showdown – basically the Cup series’ non-winners – include rookie Chase Elliott, Danica Patrick and Kyle Larson, who finished second at Dover last week. The field for the all-star race will be rounded out by the top two finishers in a fan vote.

▪ About 350 employees of the Spartanburg-based Cooper Standard manufacturing plant will attend Friday’s Truck race to support driver Tyler Reddick, who will drive the Cooper Standard For Veterans Ford F-150.

▪ Recently renovated Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway was named sports facility of the year by the SportsBusiness Journal.

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